Draft gear



DRAFT GEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ha my n) WN/ w, HQcoTToN Filed March 25, 1925 June 26, 1928.

. yl end offthe same easing;

lPahented June 26, 1928..Y l

YUNITED STA TE P"WF/ENT OFFICE;v

. WALTER 1=I.YCOTT0N, or OHICAG, TLLINoIs, AssIGNoR To UNION DRAFT GEARCOM- o PANY, OF OHIGAGQJLLINOIS, Af CORPORATION or DELAWARE. s

.application inea Mannes, 1925..' fseriai No. 17,613.

vision., of' new and improved means *for I Other objectsof" my inventionfareto provide a draft gear'embodyinga practical applieation, of thef 1hori7 jontalj dra/ ft prnlciple, which is st nrdyand cheap in construc-v *5 tionf, reliable in operation, leasily use any typeof draftgear yattaclnnent having a. .pocket vlarge enough tof aecommodate the same, andis readily rremovable for repairs.-

t Another and more' specific objeetiof ,my invention isf to provideI a.' draft gear ccomprising ytwo opposed interlocking hollow casings slidablymountediandfone which is` .25 constructed in Vsuch .manner as'. to `provide abutments Vfor the draftsprin'gs ythereinoi'i the oppositeinterlock'edl portions'"there`o f. i

Other an'drfurtlier'objects ofmy inven-k tion will appear from an inspection offfthe A ,30, accompanying drawings, wherein like `reference numerals f have been fused to :designate like parts, andf whereiii: l

Fg-v 1 'is a view partlvin-plan and'partly i in section, o showing the gear ap-plied to 'a 'ear, :a5 and in Vnormal position@ Fig." 2 isfaxlbngitudinalvertieal section of the gear under full eOmpresSion, some ofthe parts ofthe gear frame being shown elevation;

rig. sf is a take-a Regale line'- fFig. 4f is la, perspective yView ofjfa casing lemployed in the`gear;-

' Fig. 5 Vis a similar view'from the' vopposite Fig. 6 's a perspective pin forv the casings.-

' 'On the drawi :g the reference; characters 10 'and 1l deSgn'Me the''centerLfsllsl Orf a railway carto kwhichfis secured the' abutment member 12 The 'sills y are "provided view, ofi a locking with alined' openings for' elongatedy slots 13.

'Checkjplates 14l andh15`f vhaving elongated slot' aremountedalongside the ,sills es 15 aube assembled and inspected, and one Which-,s adapted forV vtiallyjthe vsame-length. The plates may be and preferably are provided with flanges 19 isi/inra extendingabout 'the' margins of thel slotsl 16, which -are adapted to engage theslots 13, inthe -sills for holding the Check plates infposition and for formingbroadbearing surfaces lforl the keys as Vwill presently appear. .7; vApair .ofdraft links 21and 22 having vslots '23,' 2 4 and; 25 are mounted1 between the V'sills as by means of keys 26, v27, 428, which extend throughthe corresponding slots in visaidcheck plates and ldraft links. The forward 'slot`16 is of sufficient length to* permit the movement .ofthe lkey V26 forward or .backward as the gear is compressed, respectively, by stresses of draft or buil. The for ward slot 23 isshorter, as the key 2 6, while free' to y move backward therein under buffing'stresses, carries forward with it,` i 1ndery .Stresses of draft', the link 24, 25, communieatingthrough them forwardv movement to of such length asv `topermit movement ofv the 'key backward lunder stresses of buff, y'while 'they preventits forward movement fthejkey `28a-nd through `it to the block 2 2.' The slot 211' andthe associated slot 1 6" vare o ,S0

whereby the stresses" ofdraft are trans- 4niit'ted' throughthisiley to the sills. There 'is no relative movement, however, between the keys28 and the links 21 and l2 2, the slots "25j being v but slightly larger than :the key 28;` The `usual dijawbar isV shown at 29'k and lisprovlded with'a slot through which the lkey`26 adapted toeXtend.

and comprises the follower blocksv y31 and 32 'whichyare adapted to engage the dr'awloarV o 29 "and" the abutment 12, respectively. The :bloekls-Sl and 32are provided with' tions or'pins. 30j`wliich are adapted to engagecorresponding recesses in the drawbar yproj eci 29fand abutment 12 for positioning'said The compressilole 'portion .of the gearis comprises two similareasings 33. In Yorder y.that thetwo casingsL may be interchange able they' are constructed substantiallyalike,

.may he @insiders 1g Vprej The improved vdraft-gear 1s mounted," berv ftween the 'abutment 1 2'fa`nd the drawbar 29 105. mounted between the blocks 31 and 32 andv vided with an opening 3ft extending longitudinally of the casing and with a head or abutment 35 at its inner end extending across said opening. A portion of the wall of the casing adjacent to the head 35 is cut away as at 36, whereby the head or abutment of each casing may be caused to enter the opening 34- ofy the other. The shape of the head is preferably such that it corresponds with the shape of the opening. In the form shown, the opening or base 34 is circular, the casing adjacent to head 35 being semicircular in form. The radius of the'head 35 is slightly less than the radius of the inner diameter of the opening. Preferably the portion or segment of the wall removed from the casings is at'the side of the same whereby the overhanging portion 40 of the wall will prevent the casings when assembled, from becoming disengaged by a relative vertical movement.

Suitable means foi resiliently resisting the compression of the gear is mounted in the casings between the followers and the heads or abutments 35 of the opposed casing. Coil springs are preferably employed for this purpose. In order to obtain the 'maximum amount of resistance vwithin the `large diameter and with a spring 38 of smaller diameter within the first named spring. The springs in the forward casing 33 engage the follower block 31 vwhich forms a closure for the opening 311 in said casing and the vhead or abutment 35 of the rearward casing. Likewise the springs within the rearward casingengage the hea-d 35 of the forward casing 33. In order to strengthen the heads 35 the inner faces thereof may be provided with suitable strengthening ribs 39 which are integral with an apertured hub or boss 4:1 on the head.

When the casings and springs are assembled they may be held in interlocked position by any appropriate means. As shown, a locking or positioning pin or shaft 4-2 is employed for this purpose. This pin eX- tends through alined openings through the hubs 41 of the heads., This pin extends Vaxiallyinto the inner springs 38 and is of sufficient .length to prevent its accidental removal from Ythe hubs while in use but is of` lesslength than the distance between the follower blocks when the gear is entirely compressed so as not to interfere with the operation of the gear.

It is desirable that means be provided to permit the gear to be readily removed for replacement, inspection and repair. One manner of accomplishing this is disclosed on the drawin It consists in providing laterally extending flanges 43 at each side of the upper portions of the casings 33. The` flanges ofthe casings are in alinement when assembled and are adapted to engage the draft links 21 and 22, preferably the top portions thereof, whereby the gear casings position shown in Fig. 1, the draft links 21 Y and 22 will move forwardly with said drawbar since they are connected to it by ther key 26. The key 27 being in the forward end of the corresponding slots will` resist the forward movement of the follower block 31 and the draft links and key 28 will combine to move forwardly to thereby cause the follower 32 to compress the springs to cushion the movement as before. l

It vwill be un'derstoodthat various changes in the form, size, construction, composition and arrangement of the Vseveral parts may be resorted topwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not Wish to Vlimit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth.

I claim as my invention:

1. l.In a draft gear, in combination, a pair of casings each comprising a body having outstanding longitudmal flanges,` a semi-cylill) lindrieal rprojection from the body portions and a plate at the outer end yofthe projec tion, the plate of each casing being entered within ythe projection of the other casing; a pairof followers at the outer endsof the casings; springs reacting between each fol-V lower and the plate of theinore remote cas# ing; and draft bars at the sides of the casing upon which the flanges rest. Y

2. As an article of manufacture,.a `casing 'for use in draft gears comprising a hollow body portion, a semi-cylindrical projection from one end of the body portion, a transverse plate at the outer end of the projection and oppositely disposed longitudinal flanges on the body portion for resting Vupon supports. 'I f Y f 3. As an article of manufacture, a casing for use in draft gears, comprisinga hollow body portion, a semi-cylindrical projection on one end of said body portion, a'boss in alignment with the longitudinal axis Vof said body portion, means for connecting Vsaid boss to the end of said projection, and oppositely disposed longitudinally extending flanges on the upper solid portionsof said casing.`

4. In a draft gear, the combination of two casings having interlocking 'prejections thereon and aligned outstanding supporting langes, and means for holding said casings together.

5. In a links, links, keys conneotingthe links andfollowers, interlocking casings mounted .on saidlinks and keys, and cushioning devices positioned within said oasings and abutting said fol- 10 lowers.

draft gear, they combination ofside` followers positioned between .said

6. In aidraft gear,rthe combination of side vvlinks, lfollower blocks .positioned vbetween .K said links, aplurality of lnterlooking casings,

aA locking pin for kconnecting said casings, means on said casings lfor slidably supporting said casings on said links, and cushioning means within said easings for absorbing shocks. i f f In testimony whereof I aix mV signature. WALTER H. OTTON. 

